Full Time, Youth Fellowship, & Summer Student Volunteer Positions Available

Full Time Positions

The Legal Rights Center is hiring for four positions:

1. Community Education Lead (position description)
2. No Kids in MN Prisons Organizer (position description)
3. Youth Restorative Justice Initiative Lead (position description)
4. Restorative Facilitator (Attorney & Facilitator position description or Facilitator position description)

Please email a letter explaining your interest in the position and your resume to jobs@legalrightscenter.org. For questions or more information, please call Chelsea Schmitz at 612-677-2126 or email Malaika Eban (meban@legalrightscenter.org).
The Legal Rights Center was created by communities of color working in coalition; a diverse staff best meets the needs of our communities.

No Kids in MN Prisons Youth Fellow 

Are you a youth (age 14-24) who has had experience with the youth justice system or youth incarceration? 
Join us for a 9-month fellowship to develop a multi-year campaign plan uplifting a community visions for a Minnesota without youth incarceration. Fellows will decide on initial campaign demands focused on community reinvestment, closing facilities and ending pathways to youth incarceration. 

What makes you the right person for the fellowship?

• You have experience with the juvenile justice system, especially with out-of-home placements or youth incarceration. 
• You have a commitment to advocating for change and are interested in organizing with community members to develop a vision for youth justice that doesn’t include incarceration.
• You have the capacity to fully participate, and can be reached by phone and email.
• You are eager to build community and participate authentically and collaboratively to the group experience. 

What’s the fellowship experience? 

• A 9 month commitment from now - March 2021
• $2,500 stipend
• 10 hours per month which will include:
  • Weekly campaign strategy meetings (1.5 hours weekly)
  • Field work (ex: one-on-ones and group meetings with community members, research, outreach to media and elected officials)

If you’re interested in joining the fellowship, please call, text, or email Malaika Eban, Community Strategy Lead at the Legal Rights Center (meban@legalrightscenter.org, 612-460-1836) by May 28, 2021.

Summer Volunteers​

Do you have an interest in policy advocacy and the youth justice system? Our Youth: Education, Advocacy, and Restorative Services team is looking for summer volunteers to support our work. To apply, complete the following form. Projects:

Project 1: Policy Research & Coalition Sustainability Volunteer (5 hrs/week)
This volunteer will support the Community Strategy Lead in researching model youth justice policies and practices from across the country as well as researching sustainable funding sources for this work. The work completed by this volunteer will support the MN Coalition for Youth Justice. Volunteer should have excellent research and writing skills, and have creative ideas for how to best present information to multiple audiences and also have/be

• Interest in policy advocacy (specifically policies focused on the criminal legal system or youth/families) and nonprofit sustainability
• Interest in legislative advocacy
• Ability to research and compile data, case studies, and local grant opportunities
• Organized, detail oriented

Project 2: Expungement & Collateral Consequences Volunteer (5 hrs/week)
This volunteer will support an LRC juvenile defense attorney in refining our clinic model of supporting youth in expunging their juvenile records. Time will be spent researching what types of cases are most important to expunge and learning more about the chances of a successful expungement in various situations. The volunteer will also help develop written materials simply explaining the expungement process. In addition, we will create a list of prior youth clients at LRC to reach out to regarding expungement.  The volunteer will work directly with youth (with staff support) to explain the expungement process and offer assistance. Volunteer should have excellent research and communication skills, as well as basic knowledge about how to create visually interesting written materials and social media posts.  Other preferred qualifications:

• Interest in the juvenile and criminal justice system
• Interest in helping youth understand and navigate a complicated and lengthy process
• Ability to research, compile and track data 
• Organized, detail oriented

Project 3: Restitution Research Volunteer (5 hrs/week)
This volunteer will support an LRC juvenile defense attorney in learning more about programs that grant money to pay off restitution in other parts of the country. This effort is part of a larger national effort through the National Juvenile Defender Center to learn more about options for assisting low income people to pay off restitution. This volunteer will gather information about the possible opportunities and barriers to such a fund here in Minnesota for juveniles.  Volunteer should have excellent research and communication skills, as well as basic knowledge about how to create visually interesting written materials and social media posts. Other preferred qualifications:

• Interest in youth justice and criminal legal system
• Interest in helping imagine new ways to support juveniles to move past a prior adjudication without the burden of large restitution payments or damaged credit.  
• Ability to research, compile and track data .
• Organized, detail oriented.

The Legal Rights Center was created by communities of color working in coalition; a diverse staff best meets the needs of our communities.